Defense lawyer Gary Grill told the broadcaster that he hopes “Justice David Harris will wear the [virtual reality] gear to experience what it’s like being an animal in a slaughterhouse”, which “will be instrumental in helping Harris understand Krajnc’s viewpoint as an animal rights activist, and why she gives water to pigs outside slaughterhouses”.
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Animal rights activist Anita Krajnc gives water to a pig in a truck in a handout photo.
“Surrounded by animal rights activists outside court, Krajnc maintained her innocence saying she felt she did the “right thing” because the pigs were dehydrated due to “hot, scorching” temperatures”.
The truck’s driver, Jeffrey Veldjesgraaf, testified he was transporting 190 pigs from the Mount Elgin, Ont., hog farm of Eric Van Boekel, a load worth around $45,000.
That, he said, would be the worst case scenario, though he acknowledged that it’s never happened to him.
Toronto Pig Save, which Krajnc founded, regularly holds “vigils” in front of Fearman’s and other local slaughterhouses to “bear witness” to the animals’ final moments, according to the group.
Van Boekel also said he was anxious about the animal activists. He also said it was only a matter of time before a protester’s arm got caught in the truck’s slats and that protester was hurt, possibly dragged beneath the truck.
The Toronto woman says she doesn’t believe pigs are property, adding they are “precious” and “sentient beings that deserve personhood” and should not be treated as property or “slabs of meat”.
Veldjesgraaf [the trucker] said his main concern was over what was in the water that Krajnc’s group gave the pigs, and whether it might contaminate the livestock.
During the 2015 incident on a warm day, the driver got out of the truck and began arguing with Krajnc and her friend, who were waiting for the pigs on a roadway median. They had some water as soon as they reached Fearman’s, he said. Krajnc yells in the video to the truck driver. He threatens to call the cops as she repeatedly says, “Have some compassion”.
“Yeah, no. What do you got in that water?” he asks. Krajnc andothers like her throughout the globe will continue to combat forevery animal’ sright to live cruelty-free.
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“No, no, how do I know?” he says.
